The 2014 Chevrolet SS performance sedan is made in Australia by the General Motors Holden subsidiary.

All About Cars
By G. Chambers Williams III

Chevrolet’s new rear-wheel-drive performance sedan, called simply the SS, goes on sale this fall with a starting price of $43,475, plus $995 freight and a gas-guzzler tax, General Motors says.

Exclusive to the U.S. market, the 2014 SS will be Chevy’s first rear-drive sport sedan since the Impala SS went out of production after 1996.

To start, there will be only one model, and the only options will be a power sunroof for $900 and a full-size spare tire for $500. The amount of the gas-guzzler tax has not been announced.

This isn’t exactly a four-door Camaro or Corvette, but it’s the same concept, allowing people who need four doors and a real back seat to have a vehicle that’s also great fun to drive and will turn heads with its sporty styling.

Under the hood is an LS3 6.2-liter small-block V-8 engine, rated at 415 horsepower and 415 foot-pounds of torque. With its standard six-speed automatic transmission, it will be able to go from zero-60 mph in just five seconds. The transmission has manual-shift paddles on the steering wheel to allow for more-spirited driving.

The car is on the same chassis as the new Chevrolet Caprice rear-drive police car that was introduced earlier. Like its predecessor, the Pontiac G8, the Chevy SS and the Caprice patrol car are based on the VF Commodore model from GM’s Holden subsidiary in Australia, which produces the cars for the U.S. market.

“The all-new SS is engineered for performance enthusiasts who’ve been clamoring for a rear-wheel-drive sedan,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “Adding the SS to the lineup further solidifies Chevrolet’s position as America’s best-selling performance-car brand and completes a trifecta that includes the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray and Camaro Z28.”

It will seat up to five people comfortably, and also comes with a roomy trunk. There are sport bucket seats up front and a bench seat in the rear. The seats are covered in leather, and in front they have eight-way power adjustment and side bolstering.

Bolstered, leather-trimmed sport bucket seats are standard on the SS, along with 19-inch forged-aluminum wheels and lots of cool technology.

Automatic parking assist will steer the car into a parallel spot using an ultrasonic sensing system while the driver controls the gas, brake and shifter.

There is a 3.27-ratio rear axle to boost acceleration, and the electric power steering has been “optimized for sport driving,” GM says. Standard are Brembo front brakes with ventilated 14-inch two-piece rotors and four-piston calipers.

Underneath, there is a MacPherson strut suspension in the front and a multi-link independent rear suspension. The car has 19-inch forged-aluminum wheels with Bridgestone tires — 245/40ZR19 in front and 275/35ZR19 in the rear.

The SS has a nearly 50/50 weight balance front to rear, and a low center of gravity. It has an aluminum hood and trunk lid, which are 30 percent lighter than they would be if they were made from steel, GM says.

The SS emblem is embroidered on the soft-touch dash, which comes with either a satin-gloss chrome or bright-chrome trim. Ice-blue ambient interior lighting is standard.

A center console between the front seats has two large cupholders, and there are fold-out rear cupholders at the rear of the console for the backseat passengers. Cupholders are also provided in all four door pockets.

There is an electric parking brake, two auxiliary 12-volt power outlets, and a USB port/power outlet. Bluetooth audio streaming and phone connection is standard, as well.

The four-wheel antilock disc brakes come with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Electronic stability control and traction control are included.

Eight air bags are standard, including knee bags for the front occupants and roof-mounted side-curtain bags for both rows of seating.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Express-News since 2000. Contact him at chambers@auto-writer.com.